How to open a file with the file extension “FILE?”

file associationfile extensionfile format

From time to time someone sends a file that comes in the extension of .FILE. How do I change this or open this?

I think they might be using Microsoft Word or something like at the office. I don't have Word or any Microsoft programs at home.

I use usually use PDF or JPEG. It isn't for business I am just a home user when I get them.

Best Answer

According to File.org, the .FILE extension is just a generic file extension Windows uses. As it explains:

The .file file extension is a generic extension. This is assigned by Windows and other applications when the file is in an unknown format. These Web applications that designate the .file extension to files in unknown file types are usually Web tools like Internet browsers, FTP client programs, download management applications, email clients and so on. The data stored in these .file files remains unchanged from what it initially contained when it was in its original format. This means a .mp3 file that has been changed to a .file file still contains the same audio data.

To open these .file files, the user must know the original format of the files. The user just needs to simply change the .file extension to the extension of its original file format. To know the original format of a .file file, one option is to look at the default icon that's designated by Windows for the file. For example, if the default icon that's assigned by Windows to a .file is the icon that's normally used for documents in plain TXT format, then the original format of the .file file may be .txt, and after changing the .file extension to .txt, a text editing program like Notepad can be used to open the file.

Users are advised to be careful with .file files that have been downloaded from unverified sources on the Internet, or attached to emails from strangers. It's best to run a scan on these .file files before trying to open them.

So the answer is really, “Who knows?” The best thing to do is to ask whoever sent it to you to explain what kind of file it is. And if you don’t have Microsoft Word, just download LibreOffice which is a free office suite that works on many platforms. If it’s indeed a Word document it should be easy for LibreOffice to open it up and allow you to read or even convert it into another similar format.

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